My dh and dd went to a Comic Con outside Chicago yesterday. They have gone for years, but this may be their last one. The price went up substantially, but the event was much more poorly run.

The entry line for ticketholders was longer than for those buying at the door, plus the line was so long, snaking on the sidewalks that the only way to get to the end of it was to walk in the street (which was very congested with traffic). It was really dangerous and then they got inside to find a huge indoor space that was empty -- so the snaking could have occurred inside, safely. It took so long to get in, that they missed the speaker they most wanted to see. Then the online schedule from that same morning was not what was printed in the program -- meaning that they had changed the schedule in enough time to print it up, but had not bothered to update it. Plus, that printed program was not the same as what was actually happening onsite. So their friends that they were meeting there, ended up missing two different speakers and a pre-paid meet and greet (they got a refund, but may not have even come to the Con if not for that meet and greet). All day long, they were being directed in one direction, but later discovering they were in the wrong place. Very very frustrating -- and for a higher price than ever before.

Insurance adjuster called Friday afternoon to say it was ready. Went to pick it up - parts of the car are primed, not painted! Loose trim everywhere. Also they left the windows down at some point and birds have gotten in and pooped INSIDE her car. Also, mud & rain damage to the interior! She's furious and I'm not very happy either. Front headlight is broken and the half a tank of gas is gone too.

And all of this because an unlicensed, uninsured motorist ran a stop sign and hit her. We are out the deductible, frustration and inconvenience and the Princess Motorist is making payments on her citations - STILL DRIVING, I see her almost everyday.

I'm not too thrilled with our adjuster either, I thought he was supervising this job - obviously he hasn't been by to check on the repair or he would have seen that it is not finished.

The grocery store (Near) nearest to our house (relatively speaking). Well, I still will buy groceries there, but never again will buy meat from their meat counter. I stopped buying pre-packed ground meat from them since the day that I got a 90% lean tube of ground beef. When I cut into it, one quarter of it was a glob of fat. If I don't want to make the extra stop at Smaller-But-Nice-Meat-Counter-Store, I usually just pick up a couple things from the Near store's meat counter. Went this weekend to get my main grocery shopping done and stopped at the meat counter to get two things. Two meat guys behind the counter busy with a machine trying to package some stuff. Little loud, so didn't hear me when I tried to get there attention. Eh, I will get some more stuff and swing back. Second stop, one still working machine while the other has walked back for something. (He may have finally gone to get the phone call that the front area had been paging them for the last 10 minutes) Eh, I will finish up and try again.Third time, some guy -customer- has a couple packages of meat from the counter, but the guys are busy with the machine. The one guy stops with whatever he is doing from waiting on the guy, looks me in the eye (I smile), and turns and walks away. The other guy is cleaning up the machine and as I try to make a movement to get his eye, he turns around and walks to the couple that have just walked up to the meat case and are standing a few feet away from me. The meat guy only talks to the man. So I decide that I can go to the Smaller store after work to pick up what I need.

Added insult to injury. At the cashier this conversation happened: (a management team member - said so on his tag - is on the house phone at her register finishing a conversation with someone. Cashier is a young woman around 18)Cashier - Hi, how are you today? Did you find everything you needed?Me - Well, except that the meat department wouldn't wait on me, yes. Cashier - Okay then. (Think she just hear the yes) I will take your bags. <she starts ringing me up when the management guy gets off the phone>Management-Type - Hi, Ma'am. Did you get everything thing you needed?Me - Well, I got what I could get from the main part of the store.

She was almost done and I didn't really want to waste anymore time.

It's hard to explain while typing but it was as if they were trying to ignore me. What is worse is that this company is over-vigilant at greeting customers and trying to be very helpful. (I have had a stocker go back and unpack a pallet because he knew that the flavor sparkling water I was looking for was on it. He just hadn't gotten to it yet.) So I will go to the store but not bothering with the meat counter.

The grocery store (Near) nearest to our house (relatively speaking). Well, I still will buy groceries there, but never again will buy meat from their meat counter. I stopped buying pre-packed ground meat from them since the day that I got a 90% lean tube of ground beef. When I cut into it, one quarter of it was a glob of fat. If I don't want to make the extra stop at Smaller-But-Nice-Meat-Counter-Store, I usually just pick up a couple things from the Near store's meat counter. Went this weekend to get my main grocery shopping done and stopped at the meat counter to get two things. Two meat guys behind the counter busy with a machine trying to package some stuff. Little loud, so didn't hear me when I tried to get there attention. Eh, I will get some more stuff and swing back. Second stop, one still working machine while the other has walked back for something. (He may have finally gone to get the phone call that the front area had been paging them for the last 10 minutes) Eh, I will finish up and try again.Third time, some guy -customer- has a couple packages of meat from the counter, but the guys are busy with the machine. The one guy stops with whatever he is doing from waiting on the guy, looks me in the eye (I smile), and turns and walks away. The other guy is cleaning up the machine and as I try to make a movement to get his eye, he turns around and walks to the couple that have just walked up to the meat case and are standing a few feet away from me. The meat guy only talks to the man. So I decide that I can go to the Smaller store after work to pick up what I need.

Added insult to injury. At the cashier this conversation happened: (a management team member - said so on his tag - is on the house phone at her register finishing a conversation with someone. Cashier is a young woman around 18)Cashier - Hi, how are you today? Did you find everything you needed?Me - Well, except that the meat department wouldn't wait on me, yes. Cashier - Okay then. (Think she just hear the yes) I will take your bags. <she starts ringing me up when the management guy gets off the phone>Management-Type - Hi, Ma'am. Did you get everything thing you needed?Me - Well, I got what I could get from the main part of the store. She was almost done and I didn't really want to waste anymore time.

It's hard to explain while typing but it was as if they were trying to ignore me. What is worse is that this company is over-vigilant at greeting customers and trying to be very helpful. (I have had a stocker go back and unpack a pallet because he knew that the flavor sparkling water I was looking for was on it. He just hadn't gotten to it yet.) So I will go to the store but not bothering with the meat counter.

I wonder if she didn't quite catch it. Your first sentence ended in yes, so perhaps that's all she heard. If you had said, No, I didn't get what I needed from the meat department, it may have caught their ear. I understand how you feel, but maybe that's why they didn't follow up on your answers.

Mom used to get bruises that would last YEARS. As in, bruises that were 7 years old. A (obviously male) doctor told her it was "typical female bruising." Yeah, he got knocked off the list.

Did she ever find out what caused it? just curious, I have a bruise that I've had for eight months now.

Do you have something that you could bump into frequently that's around the area of the bruise? I had a never-healing bruise in my leg once. I was all set to make a doctor's appointment, when banged my leg against my roommate's horribly oversized glass coffee table. I realized I did that just about every day, and it was a constant series of bruises.

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My cousin's memoir of love and loneliness while raising a child with multiple disabilities will be out on Amazon soon! Know the Night, by Maria Mutch, has been called "full of hope, light, and companionship for surviving the small hours of the night."

Mom used to get bruises that would last YEARS. As in, bruises that were 7 years old. A (obviously male) doctor told her it was "typical female bruising." Yeah, he got knocked off the list.

Did she ever find out what caused it? just curious, I have a bruise that I've had for eight months now.

Do you have something that you could bump into frequently that's around the area of the bruise? I had a never-healing bruise in my leg once. I was all set to make a doctor's appointment, when banged my leg against my roommate's horribly oversized glass coffee table. I realized I did that just about every day, and it was a constant series of bruises.

I had a mystery bruise on my hips in college that stayed for several months. Same spot, both sides. Until one day I realized it was from the way my roommate and I lofted our beds - the rooms were tiny, see, so we ended up putting them in an "L" shape and the lower half of my bed was under hers but nowhere near as high as bunk beds normally would be. It was fine when I was awake, but apparently when I'm already asleep I have a tendency to roll over by sticking my butt in the air and flopping. I was re-bruising both hips every night. The bruises mysteriously faded after I started seriously dating DH (who had a single) . . .

DH and I went out to dinner at a Chinese buffet with sil and friend, and never again, the so called spicy garlic shrimp wasn't spicy at all, just plain breaded shrimp, the noodles in the wonton soup were mush, dh said the white rice was still raw, and to top it all off, sil said the strawberry ice cream tasted sour to her. I mentioned this to the manager when I paid for my half, but all she did was apologize, no offer of compensation. Neither DH or I left a tip, besides, there are some great Chinese food places in town that we are regulars at, we definitely won't be returning! If anyone is planning a trip to Windsor or lives here and wants to know the name, feel free to PM me!

Since moving to the Atlanta area, we've gone to the Mall of Georgia many times - it's very close to us, and we love it. However, they don't have a Mont Blanc store, and I needed to get my pen repaired, so we went down to the Lenox Square mall, which does have one (and a ton of very, very high end stores). DP was in her chair, and I was in my work clothes (business casual, nothing fancy, but decent). We were ignored by everyone BUT the lovely man at the Mont Blanc store (he, I would spend lots of $$ with, if I was in the market for more pens). The clerks at Neiman Marcus were the worst - they were all on their (personal) cell phone calls (I overheard one about workout routines, one about clothes she wore last night at a party, and one dinner discussion - definitely not work), and we ended up stumbling on the elevators on our own. Admittedly, we were in there for one thing, but even if I'd had a million dollars to spend, I'd have come back to the Mall of Georgia to do it - except for the Cartier and Bvlgari sorts of shops, the stores are roughly the same selection there, and we don't get ignored.

I hope this doesn't offend you, Rebecca, but there is something to consider re your DP and her chair. Most people are taught as children that it is rude to stare at someone with a physical disability. What you consider 'ignoring' may be what the other person considers as 'not staring.'

Of course, if you or DP attempted to get someone's attention and they then ignored you, THAT is something to boycott the store/mall over. If they greeted others with a smile and "May I help you?" and looked right through you and DP, that is worth contacting a manager or even corporate. Geez -- haven't they ever seen Pretty Woman?

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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~It's true. Money can't buy happiness. You have to turn it into books first. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I hope this doesn't offend you, Rebecca, but there is something to consider re your DP and her chair. Most people are taught as children that it is rude to stare at someone with a physical disability. What you consider 'ignoring' may be what the other person considers as 'not staring.'

Of course, if you or DP attempted to get someone's attention and they then ignored you, THAT is something to boycott the store/mall over. If they greeted others with a smile and "May I help you?" and looked right through you and DP, that is worth contacting a manager or even corporate. Geez -- haven't they ever seen Pretty Woman?

Yeah, it wasn't a 'don't stare' thing - I tried to get help in a couple of departments before we stumbled on what we were looking for. They were just oblivious. We do go out with the chair a lot, and I am used to some degree of it, but it was just.... weird.

At least the pen guy was great. When I get my pen back from the adorably apt "Pen Hospital", I will be letting his manager know how great he was, too. :-)

Not a store. But the Red Cross. I went to donate blood today because of a critical blood shortage in my area - and will never deal with them again. Upon entry the guy doing registration made fun of my last name, giggling and telling me it was too long to say..."How did you ever learn to spell that?!" and such. Then I got to the person doing the health questionnaire got in the act...first she wanted my Social Security Number, and told me she wanted to"run" it when I refused. (This is something that has never been in all the years I have been donating with the red cross. ) and then told me "if you don't want it run, then you must have something to hide." Then she took my Driver's License and put it on the far side of her desk...effectively keeping herself between her and my ID. She then proceeded to have me spell my name, not once or even twice, but five separate times -and refused to tell my why she needed this level of vigilance about my name. Then proceeds to ask me "What other names have you donated under?" She's just made me spell my name FIVE TIMES and she still can not get what my name is! After telling her I only use the name I have already given her - she tells me "I know that's not true - I know you have another name here, I am seeing a "Andrew" at your address, so you need to tell me your real name." ( My name is Carole.) At this point I reached across her and got my ID - and told her that she "obviously does not want to deal with me" and left.

Not a store. But the Red Cross. I went to donate blood today because of a critical blood shortage in my area - and will never deal with them again. Upon entry the guy doing registration made fun of my last name, giggling and telling me it was too long to say..."How did you ever learn to spell that?!" and such. Then I got to the person doing the health questionnaire got in the act...first she wanted my Social Security Number, and told me she wanted to"run" it when I refused. (This is something that has never been in all the years I have been donating with the red cross. ) and then told me "if you don't want it run, then you must have something to hide." Then she took my Driver's License and put it on the far side of her desk...effectively keeping herself between her and my ID. She then proceeded to have me spell my name, not once or even twice, but five separate times -and refused to tell my why she needed this level of vigilance about my name. Then proceeds to ask me "What other names have you donated under?" She's just made me spell my name FIVE TIMES and she still can not get what my name is! After telling her I only use the name I have already given her - she tells me "I know that's not true - I know you have another name here, I am seeing a "Andrew" at your address, so you need to tell me your real name." ( My name is Carole.) At this point I reached across her and got my ID - and told her that she "obviously does not want to deal with me" and left.

Snowdragon, I've never heard of such a thing. I think you really SHOULD notify the organization about your experience. When they so desperately NEED blood donors, they certainly do not want to get the kind of reputation that will come from treating their donors this way!! That's awful. Please do let them know what happened to you! (Give date, time and location and if you can remember, names!)